Joe Thompson: Former Rochdale midfielder diagnosed with cancer for third time

Joe Thompson played 203 games for Rochdale prior to his retirement from football in 2019

Former Rochdale midfielder Joe Thompson says "the fight is still inside" after receiving the news that he has been diagnosed with cancer for a third time.

The 35-year-old has stage four lymphoma which has spread to his lungs.

Thompson was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2013 and recovered before the cancer returned in 2017. He went on to recover a second time.

"[It is] far from ideal and it's come back quite aggressive, so stage four," he told BBC Radio Manchester.

"[The] only positive is it is the same cancer as what I've had previously, but the issue for me this time is its gone on to my lungs, so breathing is a problem, sleeping is difficult and even talking sometimes can be quite hard.

"Definitely the fight is still inside, nothing changes, but actually facing it for the third time really hurts because you know what you are going to have to go through."

Thompson retired from playing in 2019 after making 203 appearances for Rochdale and saying he had "pushed his body to the absolute limit".

After returning for the second time from cancer in December 2017, Thompson went on to score the goal that saw Rochdale avoid League One relegation.

"It's weighing up all the options and trying to understand what do you want to get out of life? Ultimately I want a quality of life where I can be like everybody else, play with my children, be as active as possible and enjoy life," he continued.

"The problem with a third diagnosis is it's like the grim reaper, here I am again. Then you start to think of all the emotions.

"I'd be lying if I said there's not days where I doubt certain things, but I've always said I will never, ever give up, I'll just get beaten if it does get on top of me."

'How can I spin it when I'm in it?'

Following the end of his playing career, Thompson has worked in the media as a pundit as well as mentoring and working as a motivation speaker.

With the return of his cancer, however, Thompson says that he now needs to "find a way" to profess the positives of his situation when he returns to his speaking commitments later in April.

"For instance, public speaking. I can give you the ending to the present and it's a positive. But how can I spin it when I'm in it?" he added.

"Now it's how can I give you a positive story when the outcome is I've got stage four cancer at this moment in time?

"I'll find a way, I've got a big talk at the end of April but I'm wrestling with how I'll go about it, but it's so important telling a story and you want to get them through it all emotionally, and want them to walk away on a positive. That's what I've struggled with."